Finding rhino around the Mopani Rest Camp might prove difficult and they are seldom seen traversing the dense Mopanie bushes, but the rest of the Big Five are spotted on a daily basis by tourists traveling in their own vehicles. Timing the game drives to include early morning and late afternoon, increases the chances of finding the elusive leopard close to Tsendze Rustic Camp and Mooiplaas Picnic site.
Where to Search for Lion around Mopani Rest Camp, Kruger Park
Most tourists visit the Kruger National Park to see the king of the jungle in its natural habitat. Although the area around Satara and Letaba is notorious for their lion sightings, the roads around Mopani often deliver excellent sightings of lions.
Close to Mopani Rest Camp, tourists should seek lions on the following roads:
The river loops to the south of Mopani Rest Camp often yield large herds of buffalo and lions resting in the shade of the Mopanie trees and other river bush. Tourists should drive these loops slowly and search the underbrush carefully as lions camouflage themselves well to melt into the surrounding bush.
From Mopani Rest Camp visitors should travel north on the H1-6 to the S144 road and turn right on the S143. At Tihongonyeni water point, lions often lie in wait on other game quenching their thirst. Here visitors also stand a good chance of sighting Roan Antelope, Eland and Tsessebe.
Driving on the tarred H1-6 road to the north of Mopani Rest Camp in the early morning often result in finding lions lazing around on the tarred surface to try and capture the heat of the road.
Where to Search for Leopard around Mopani Rest Camp
Leopards are elusive by nature and mostly nocturnal. The best chance of finding a leopard on the prowl is during the early morning while driving south on the tarred H1-6. Tourists reported frequent sightings of leopard around Mooiplaas picnic site and the entrance to Tsendze Rustic Camp.
Sometimes relaxing on the veranda of the restaurant at Mopani Rest Camp in the late afternoon or early morning yields sightings of leopard drinking water from the Pioneer Dam.
Elephants and Buffalo around Mopani Rest Camp
Elephants and buffalo are abundant in the Mopani rest camp area. Visitors will often find herds of elephant or lone bulls wandering along the main tarred H1-6 road. Buffalo often drink in the Tsendze River and their herds frequently number into the hundreds. The Shipandani – and Pioneer Bird and Game-viewing hides also offer an excellent opportunity to view these animals and other wildlife from the safety of the wooden structures.
Rhinoceros Sightings around Mopani Camp
Rhino are not predominant around the Mopani Rest Camp and the dense mopanie trees makes finding them difficult, but visitors reported seeing rhino at the Confluence lookout and on the road between Mopani Rest Camp and Letaba Rest Camp. During the early morning and late afternoon tourists should search the riverbeds for rhino, as this is when they move to quench their thirst.
The Kruger National Park offers a myriad of other interesting animals besides the Big 5 game and tourists can expect to see wildebeest, giraffe, hippopotamus, impala, kudu, bushbuck, njala and many more herbivores.
